With the ever-increasing prices of our cable subscriptions, it is not hard to understand why cord cutting is a growing movement and cable companies are losing more and more customers every day. It is one hell of a ride that starts from calling the cable company to signing up for the service. The overly excited representative promises you how good the service will be and offers you some extra discounts. However, after the end of the promotional term, the prices go skyrocket high.
You cannot help but curse your cable service provider. If you are one of those but low-key want to stick to cable just for sake of the variety of channels it offers, we are here to help you cut your monthly bill.
Luckily, there are many ways to save on your current bill and you can do that by following these simple steps:
Change your Package
You must have a clear understanding of your household’s requirements as a subscriber. In the awe of some promotions, we end up signing for a plan that supersedes our usage. Those discounts are good for a year and your cable bill gets out of budget after a year. Now is a good time to reconcile. Do you need 140+ channels? If not, change your current package and look for something basic according to your requirements. You can check Spectrum channels and easy nuts as the entire list is their packages are specially customized to fit your household’s needs perfectly.
Get rid of extra cable boxes
A cable box will cost you $10 on average every month. If you have multiple TVs, that is roughly $30-$40 a month. Most of us have a TV we rarely use. Get rid of the box there. It might save you a few bucks. Secondly, many cable providers give you the option of streaming cable on your smart devices. In case you have smart TVs, you can ditch all the extra boxes and keep only one. Withhigh speed internet, you will be able to stream on all the other TVs while paying for only one box.
Negotiate your current plan
There are tons of promotions running all the time. All you need is to ask. This is true for every customer. Call your cable service provider once in a while to avail of discounts and promotions for existing customers. Other than that, if you still are not satisfied then negotiate your bill. Always get the breakdown of the package you have. You might have some add-ons in your package that you don’t even remember signing up for. Take out all these unnecessary add-ons. Many providers have a retention department to cater to issues like these. Tell them that the bill has gotten out of hand and it leaves you no choice but to look for other options. 9/10 cases, they will accommodate you in the best possible way.
Get rid of all the premium channels
Premium channels add on to your monthly expenditures. Channels like HBO®, Cinemax®, SHOWTIME®, and STARZ® look good on your TV but let’s be honest, these are premium for a reason. They always add to your cable bill. In case, you are no longer able to pay for your subscription, getting rid of 3-4 channels is better than cutting the cord entirely.
Sign up for streaming services with basic cable
I know premium channels are hard to let go of because of the entertainment they offer. The most viable alternative is getting streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime. These streaming services have a huge library of content not limited to documentaries, TV series, and movies. Moreover, with these streaming services you can watch any show you like, whenever you want.
Trade-in your DVR Box for a standard box
Trading your DVR box for a standard one cuts $10 or more from your monthly bill. This option is not viable for everyone though. If you have a busy schedule and miss the show time regularly, stick to the DVR. However, if your DVR is good for no reason and you barely record anything, then getting rid of the DVR service is a good thing to look forward too.
Final Verdict
Try these simple and effective methods to lower your cable bill. If nothing works out for you, cut the cord, if you have high-speed internet service in your locality and you can do without sports and news channels.
Hello, My name is Shari & I am a writer for the ‘Outlook AppIns’ blog. I’m a CSIT graduate & I’ve been working in the IT industry for 3 years.